What is there to ‘like’ about Facebook?

I AM a little bemused by the latest Facebook scandal and Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before a joint hearing of two senate committees in Washington.

I suppose the crux of it – or at least my understanding of the crux of it – is that when any of us sign up to Facebook, we have the expectation of choice; that when we want something to be public, we make it public and when we want something to be private we make it private. As it turns out, that doesn’t appear to be the case at all. What turns out to be the case is that all information – our information – is good old-fashioned fodder that can be leaked out to third party companies.

Facebook are very sorry of course. Actually, Zuckerberg has been sorry a long time – demonstrated by one senator summoning a poster-board with all Zuckerberg’s apologies from 2006. Facebook only dates to 2003 so that’s a lot of apologies from a man whose original inspiration came from a botched attempt to get internet users to rate each others photos – a kind of ‘hot’ or ‘not’ type thing.

Anyway. Its all very complicated, as the senators on Capital Hill are finding out, but the process is gratifying – like seeing Mark Zuckerberg explain Facebook to another generation. And it is entertaining too, with another senator asking Mr. Zuckerberg if he would like to share with the public the hotel he was checked into in Washington. Unsurprisingly, the CEO of Facebook opted not to “share”. Well its private, isn’t it?

All that said, and this justifies nothing in respect of what Facebook has done, a little of me is sitting back and thinking, did we really think otherwise?

Do we really believe that when we go online that what we do and who we are just drifts off into the ether? That Big Brother would not be interested in our stuff and use it? Did we think that the unapologetic urges of political, commercial and social gain would resist this extensive tapestry of profiles, insights and opinion and opt to play by the rules?

Facebook is a resource like no other; a tease and a flirt to market opportunity and rich pickings for the big boys.

Yes, we should be entitled to our privacy and we should be able to trust in whatever it says on the tin but when it comes to the internet, we can’t. Search engines like Google benefit from every click we make because every click we make, makes them money. By being on the internet, we are already priced and sold. Their cup – it overfloweth – yet still we click, share, like and comment.

Facebook is Facebook and even though it might not do what it says on the tin, it’s no different to any other form of social engagement, where power, money, lust and desire preside alongside truth, generosity, sadness and joy.

And for those of you not online, well aren’t you the lucky ones!!! But don’t get all smug in yourselves because us Facebookers wouldn’t ‘like’ that at all

WITH YVONNE JOYE Thejoyes oflife